Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Sandy, Utah (June 11, 2014) - Mark Neihart loves horses. More than that, he’s fascinated with the age-old relationship between man and horse. As the CEO of Premier Equestrian, he’s surrounded by the horse culture, but he’s not just in the business. It’s much deeper and more personal.

Mark started writing his book in 2010, and originally it detailed the history of mankind and horses, the premise being that man progressed through the ages on the back of a horse.

“I finished it, and it was pretty boring,” Neihart admits. “It was more like a dull documentary. Then in 2011, a friend suggested I write a dramatic story using the factual information as the core of the story. Once my editor got involved we ditched all the remaining boring parts. It turned from a documentary into straight fiction. It’s a story which has something for everyone: fast moving action, romance, government corruption, and, of course, horses.”

What Neihart kept as the central theme in his book was the relationship between horse and man. “It’s what motivates many of the characters. A hundred and fifty years ago it was the horse pulling the cart. Today, we see the Chevy Suburban pulling the horse within the trailer. This is the perfect symbol of our collective love and appreciation of the horse as well as an apt symbol of our gratitude.” That ancient bond is the core of The Horse Angels, a story about an endangered herd of wild horses and the people sent to protect them.

A brief synopsis; News reporter Anne Harper is called to investigate rumors of a dwindling herd of mustangs. She takes her daughter Samantha and heads up to the Angel Ridge horse rescue ranch where the two get caught up in a decades-old family feud. She meets Nolan Powell, a quiet, brooding horsemen with a secret. The drama unfolds as true nature of the relationship between horse and man is revealed. Fast paced, compelling, and heartfelt. The Horse Angels is a book for every horse lover.

Neihart enjoyed dramatizing the relationship people enjoy with their horses. He depicts this as a mystical, almost magical element in The Horse Angels. He says he based it on the observations he made watching horsemen like Walter Zettl and Pat Parelli.

“When my company was making the video series, A Matter of Trust, about Walter Zettl, I followed him around for five years, observing him,” says Neihart. “His classical dressage technique utilizes the horse’s natural abilities. I learned how important it is to always be soft, kind, with no force. Through Walter, I met Pat and Linda Parelli and my education continued. The Parelli’s are leaders in the Natural Horsemanship movement. They showed me how respect for the horse and seeing things from his point of view is the basis of all good training. There were my beginnings; many other world-class horse trainers have come into my life since then. I have been very fortunate.”

As CEO of Premier Equestrian, Neihart gets to live this philosophy everyday. “Premier Equestrian was built around our primary passion for loving, training, and riding our horses,” says Neihart. “Every product we sell is measured against this passion for safety, practicality, and the well being of the horse.”

Mark and Heidi-Zorn Neihart live in Granite, Utah with their three horses, Sting, Serrano, and Isabella. Horses are central to their lives, both professionally and personally.

For more information on this and all Premier Equestrian products, including footing, dressage arenas, jumps, stable accessories, and The Horse Angels, visit their website at www.PremierEquestrian.com or call 800-611-6109.

Editor's note: Any editor or publisher interested in reading or reviewing The Horse Angels, please contact Premier Equestrian and they will send you a complimentary copy.